Yes Josie, there is a Santa Claus
by knittingeek
Summary: Josie's not so sure there really is a Santa Claus.  Fluffy Christmas story set in the future.


_**This is a Christmas story with Josie, Kate and Rick's daughter. It is set about six years into the future.**_

_**Characters are not mine…except Josie :o)**_

Alexis was sitting on the sofa in the Living Room reading and watching Josie, who was lying on the floor with elbows on the floor, chin in her hands staring at the gas fireplace.

"Sissy?"

"Yea?"

"I don't think Santa Claus is real."

"Why would you say that?"

"Jake says so."

"That's not a very good reason." She looked back at her book and said, "He's real."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen him before."

"The real one?" Josie was now standing in front of Alexis with her hands on her hips. "Not the fake ones in the stores."

"Yep."

"Where did you see him?"

"She looked up and said, "Over by the wall, filling our stockings."

Josie scrunched up her face, "How did he get in here?"

Alexis looked toward the kitchen where her father and Kate were cleaning up the dishes from supper, and then motioned for Josie to come closer, she got up from the couch and took Josie's hand and put her finger over her lips. They tiptoed over to the door. Alexis very quietly opened the small drawer in the front hall table and reached her hand into the back of the drawer and pulled out a red velvet bag. She opened the bag and took Josie's hand and emptied it into her little palm. Josie's eyes got big and her mouth formed an O. It was a red glitter key and engraved into it was _SANTA._ Alexis opened the bag back up and Josie dropped the key back in. Alexis showed her the small embroidery on the outside of the bag. It simply said LOFT. She very quietly put it back in to the back of the drawer and took Josie's hand and went back to the couch.

"If you watch very closely when we go to church on Christmas Eve, Dad will take that out of the drawer and leave it at the front desk so Santa can get in."

"Seriously?"

Alexis smiled at Josie and said "Seriously. Now let's go get changed for church and get your angel costume ready."

Kate was putting the finishing touches of her make-up on when Josie came into the bathroom. Josie's hair once again was a disheveled mass of curls. She was wearing a dark green velvet jumper, a white blouse and white tights with red leather Mary Jane shoes. Kate picked her up and sat her on the padded bench in front of her vanity and started brushing her curls.

"You look pretty, Mommy."

Kate smiled at her daughter and bent down and kissed her on the top of her head. "Thanks Sweetie, you look very pretty tonight too."

Josie smiled up at her mother. "Did you make a special Christmas wish, Mommy?"

"No. I have everything I ever wanted." She continued brushing through Josie's curls and pulled some back with a red barrette.

"Have all your favorite wishes come true?"

Kate smiled and put the brush on the vanity. She sat down on the bench and put Josie on her lap and wrapped her arms around her and said, "You, Miss Josie are one of my favorite wishes come true."

Josie turned her face towards her mother and placed both of her little hands on either side of her face and with wide eyes and a big smile said "Mommy, did you ask Santa for me and he put me in your stocking?"

Kate chuckled. "No, Josie, you know Santa doesn't bring babies."

"But you wished for me?"

"I did." Kate placed a kiss on her daughter's nose. "I always wanted a little girl, so I could teach her all the things my mom taught me."

Josie kissed her mother's nose and said, "I love you, Mommy." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and squeezed her tight. When she opened her eyes she could see her father's reflection in the mirror and she smiled and jumped off her mother's lap and ran over to him.

He picked her up under her arms and held her out for inspection. "Kate, what did you do with my baby girl? This can't be her, all neat and tidy and look at this gorgeous hair?"Josie giggled and he placed a kiss on her forehead and put her down.

She looked up at her father, "Daddy, you look _very_ handsome."

"Why thank you Miss Josie. Why don't you scoot downstairs and get your angel wings and gown. Alexis has them for you. Oh, and Josie?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Do NOT take your hair out?"

Josie bit her bottom lip and Rick looked over at Kate and then back to Josie.

"I won't Daddy."

"Promise?"

She smiled up at her father and held her little pinky finger out to him and said, "Pinky Promise, Daddy."

He grabbed her pinky with his and sent her on her way. He walked over to Kate admiring her in her slim dark green dress that hugged her body. Her hair was up with a few loose tendrils along her neck and face. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her in for a kiss and she pulled back.

"You'll ruin my lipstick."

"You can put more on; I can't look at you in this dress and your hair all sexy and not kiss you."

She rolled her eyes. "Your daughter is right, you do look _very_ handsome." She ran her arms up the front of his shirt and around his neck and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek."

"Oh, I don't think so Mrs. Castle."

She smiled and shook her head. "Just don't get too carried away Mr. Castle, we have to be at the church in half an hour."

He waggled his eyebrows at her and started to say "Plenty of time for a qui…."

She put her lips on his to silence him. Kissed him soundly and removed her hands from around his neck and placed them on his hands and removed them from her hips, turned him around and swatted him on the bottom. "Out…NOW, I'll be down in a second, I just need to find my shoes."

He was leaning up against the doorframe. "Your black patent leather pumps?"

Kate was rummaging around in the bottom of the closet. "Yea, those."

"I believe they are under my desk."

Kate backed out of the closet with a slight blush forming on her face. "Oh, yea, how could I forget?"

"That was a night to remember, I believe you were wearing something really short and red with those shoes." He walked towards her placing his hands on either side of her face and gently pushed her up against the closet door and once again his lips were on hers. She tried pushing him away but he wouldn't have any of it. They'd been together for almost eight years now and she still couldn't resist him. She sighed into the kiss, her hands resting on his hips. When he finally stopped, she smiled at him and brought her hand up to wipe her lipstick off of his mouth.

"Go get my shoes, Romeo while I fix my lipstick."

He met her at the bottom of the stairs; her shoes in one hand and her coat in the other.

"Everyone ready?"

"All ready, Daddy."

"Out you go then." He held the door and walked in front of Kate just before she went out and kissed her. She rolled her eyes and pushed him out the door. When they got to the lobby Rick placed a small velvet bag into a basket at the desk. Alexis winked at Josie and put her finger on her lips. Josie squeezed Alexis' hand as they all got into the car that was waiting for them.

They arrived at the church to mayhem. All the children who were in the Christmas pageant were scurrying around while their parents tried to get them into costumes. This was not Kate's idea of how to spend Christmas Eve but Josie insisted on being in the pageant with Ryan and Jenny's kids. She went over and sat with Ryan while Jenny and Rick wrestled with costumes.

"So, Beckett, costumes not your thing."

"No Ryan, some things are much better left for Castle to deal with." She could see Josie trying to pull her hair out so the halo would stay on and Rick moving her hand away repeatedly and finally Alexis held Josie's hands while he stuck bobby pins into the halo on her head. Josie scrunched up her face at her father and he picked her up and said something to her and then gave her a kiss on the forehead and put her back down. She took off with Ryan's daughter Sadie. Rick handed Alexis the garment bag and they found their way over to Ryan and Kate while Jenny was chasing down Nora and Sean.

Kate looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What did you threaten her with?"

"Santa, who else?"

Kate just shook her head and linked her arm through his as they waited for the Mass to start. Jenny made it back with a very upset Nora just as the children's choir started singing _Angels we have heard on High. _Jim Beckett slid in beside Rick right before the children started down the aisle. Alexis reached over and gave him a big hug and then he shook hands with Rick and leaned forward to give Kate a hug. He had his camera all ready when Josie and Sadie walked by. Sean and Jake were behind them dressed as shepherds and Jake reached up and gently pulled on one of Josie's curls. Josie spun around with her hands on her hips and glared at Jake. Jake stopped short, which of course caused a bit of a pile up. Nora was giggling and Jenny handed her over to Ryan and she helped to straighten out the shepherds.

Rick looked at Kate. "She's got the 'Beckett glare' down pat. I really am waiting for the day that we get a call from the principal telling us she's been suspended for walloping that kid."

"She won't hurt him. She loves all of his antics." She winked at him and said, "Like mother, like daughter."

"Do you mean to tell me that all those years I was pulling your pigtails you actually enjoyed it?"

"Castle, do you think for one minute that if I hadn't wanted you around I wouldn't have found a way to get rid of you?"

"I'm glad you had a crush on me."

She shook her head and shushed him as the children started the readings. They sat through the rest of the Mass and collected the kids and wished the Ryan's a Merry Christmas and then they all headed back to the loft. When they got just outside the loft door Jim noticed that the door was ajar. Kate reached into her purse for her gun and held everyone back.

Josie came up behind her and pulled on her coat. "Mommy, don't shoot it could be Santa."

Kate looked at Rick and he smiled. "It is Christmas, why don't you let me go in first and check."

Kate took a deep breath and whispered to him, "Seriously Rick?"

Rick peeked into the loft and then came back out and took Josie's hand and bent down and let her peek in. He put his finger up to his lips. Alexis and Jim looked in behind Josie while Kate stood in the hall and rolled her eyes.

Josie's eyes got big and she ran out into the hall and grabbed Kate, "Mommy, you have to see this. It _really_ is Santa." They stood at the door while they watched Santa put a few items in the stockings and then pull a few things out of his bag and leave them under the tree. Just as he started to make his way back to the door he caught their eyes on him and he smiled. Josie smiled shyly and then hid behind Kate.

She peeked out and softly said "Santa don't forget your cookies, we made them 'specially for you."

He patted her on the head and lumbered over to the counter in the kitchen. Rick followed him and opened a bottle of rum and poured a shot into the glass of eggnog. Santa winked at him then nibbled on the cookies and drained his drink. He smiled at everyone and nodded his head. Jim opened the door and bid him goodbye. Santa turned around and handed a small bag to Kate and said "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."

By the time Josie got to the door to look into the hall, he was gone. She looked up at Jim, "Grampa, I hope you got some pictures of him, because Jake is NEVER going to believe this!"

He picked her up and hugged her and said, "Well, we'll have to wait and see won't we?" He took Josie over to look at the stockings while Kate held the small velvet bag.

Rick looked at her and said "Open it."

She looked at him and then opened the bag and reached her hand inside and pulled out a glittery red key that was engraved with the letters _SANTA_. Attached to the key was a small keychain with a silver fob that was engraved with _BELIEVE_.

"How much did you have to pay him?"

"I honestly don't know what you are talking about."

"Honestly?"

"Yes, honestly. He's been coming around since Alexis was small." He placed his hand over her heart and said, "Sometimes Kate, you just have to believe in magic, you have to make a wish and believe it will come true and just maybe you'll get what you wish for." He pulled her in tight for a hug and then kissed her. Her arms were loosely wrapped around his neck, the small velvet bag and key still in her hands.

"_You_ have made all my wishes come true." She kissed him slowly and let her lips linger just a little longer. She caught the catch in his breath and smiled at him and traced her finger along his jaw and said, "Thank you."

He kissed her lips softly then pulled her into a tight hug. Opening his eyes he saw his youngest daughter smile at them and then roll her eyes and shake her head.

_**Sorry for so much fluffiness. But who doesn't like fluffy nonsense for Christmas. I'm off to church to hear the little angels sing. To those who celebrate, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. And to those that don't I wish you a happy winter solstice ;o)**_


End file.
